For the first time, Christmas doesn't sink Valley family

Christmas should be a time of celebration, a period of joy, hope, love and peace. Instead, it meant debt for the Morales family.

The family of six was stretching $350 a week to support themselves. They made their resources work for day-to-day needs, but unexpected expenses and special occasions strained the family financially.

That included Christmas. Maria Luisa and Alberto were determined to provide presents for their children. That meant going into debt and slowly working their way out of it in the first months of the next year.

Until the family came to the local Buckner Family Hope Center in Peñitas, Texas. Maria Luisa and Alberto started taking classes at the ministry that strengthened their family in numerous ways, including Faith and Finance classes that help families learn how to better manage their resources.

As well as gaining knowledge, the family also earned “Buckner bucks” through the classes they took and the hours they volunteered at the Family Hope Center. As Christmas approached, Maria Luisa and Alberto used those Buckner bucks during the ministry’s holiday market, which offers toys, games and household items to the children and families Buckner serves.

“Because of the Buckner classes on household finances we are able to plan out everything, and this year we were able to buy Christmas gifts for the children without going into debt,” Morales said. “We also paid off three debts that we had pending, because of that class.”

For the first time, the Morales family could celebrate Christmas fully. That’s certainly a Christmas to remember.